RugbyRebels

Teams named (kind of)
Ireland: Rob Kearney, Andrew Trimble, Garry Ringrose, Jared Payne, Keith Earls, Paddy Jackson, Conor Murray; Jack McGrath, Rory Best (capt), Tadhg Furlong, Devin Toner, Iain Henderson, CJ Stander, Sean O’Brien, Jamie Heaslip.

Replacements: Sean Cronin, Cian Healy, Finlay Bealham, Ultan Dillane, Josh van der Flier, Kieran Marmion, Joey Carbery, Simon Zebo.

Zebo is an injury doubt and Stander and Kearney have to pass their concussion tests.

Australia:

15. Israel Folau
14. Dane Haylett-Petty
13. Tevita Kuridrani
12. Reece Hodge
11. Henry Speight
10. Bernard Foley
9. Will Genia

1. Scott Sio
2. Stephen Moore (captain)
3. Sekope Kepu
4. Rory Arnold
5. Rob Simmons
6. Dean Mumm
7. Michael Hooper
8. David Pocock

Replacements:

16. Tolu Latu
17. James Slipper
18. Allan Alaalatoa
19. Kane Douglas
20. Lopeti Timani
21. Sean McMahon
22. Nick Phipps
23. Quade Cooper
24. Sefanaia Naivalu

One replacement to be omitted before Saturday

Suspect that Simon's injury doubt is why Rory and Olding haven't been released back to their provinces. I'd be surprised if he makes it. Begs the question why you'd hold on to a couple of centres to cover for a wing/FB, mind.

true, would sweetnam not have been a more like for like replacement!

pity we don't get to see ringrose at 13 and payne at 15....in their best positions. i'd have gone with olding at 12 too.

Darren's time is coming.

The news on the Ulster board is that Olding was injured in training and was sent home. Ringrose, good as he is, is a 13 and a bit of a gamble at 12.

... while Scannell is a natural 12, with a great boot from hand or tee.

JOE, YE BALLIX, even the dogs on the street know!

Congrats to Rory on 100 caps

SerjeantWildgoose wrote:... while Scannell is a natural 12, with a great boot from hand or tee.

JOE, YE BALLIX, even the dogs on the street know!

Possible doubts about Payne and O'Brien now. Scannell and POM called up.

It's good to have that depth of quality these days

Aussies looking better as the tour has gone on. O'brien a big loss, I think this will be close.

It should be a really good game

G'wan Rory!

Pocock and Hooper always allowed to attack the ball even when there's a clear ruck formed.

Well I'd say that the Wobblies would be a good deal happier going in at the half than we are. A 10 point lead and down 2 of our backs is a pretty poor return for the balance of possession and territory.

Quite the dog fight to come in the 2nd half.

BBD wrote:It should be a really good game

It's the uncluttered incision and insight that impresses me.

Should've been a try. Fwck knows why Folau held onto it for so long with a 2-1 overlap outside him.

What a win by Ireland with a patched up backline of shorties against their massive Oz counterparts. Another great performance by the pack - heros all. Furlong is a horse. VDF a perpetual motion machine.
Tremendous for Rory on his 100th cap.

SerjeantWildgoose wrote:

BBD wrote:It should be a really good game

It's the uncluttered incision and insight that impresses me.

I did say...

Spiffy wrote:What a win by Ireland with a patched up backline of shorties against their massive Oz counterparts. Another great performance by the pack - heros all. Furlong is a horse. VDF a perpetual motion machine.
Tremendous for Rory on his 100th cap.

Good call on Jackson mucker. I take back what I said - he looked good tonight.

Great win and fantastic test match too.

Vengeful Glutton wrote:

Spiffy wrote:What a win by Ireland with a patched up backline of shorties against their massive Oz counterparts. Another great performance by the pack - heros all. Furlong is a horse. VDF a perpetual motion machine.
Tremendous for Rory on his 100th cap.

Good call on Jackson mucker. I take back what I said - he looked good tonight.

Fair play. But even amongst Ireland rugby fans Jackson is not fully appreciated. Some are calling for Carbery (10 or so senior games) to replace him as Sexton's deputy. Jackson has now booted 14 kicks in a row for Ireland, some of them touchline conversions, though there is much more to his game than just place kicking, as he showed in the summer in SA. I still get the feeling that he is constrained by Joe Schmidt's game plan and there is a free-running FH itching to get at it.

A string of games behind him, and we'll see him grow into the role. He's given Schmidt something to think about now.

That was a more extraordinary win than Chicago. Losing 10 & 12 before the game shouldn't be fatal to you prospects and we were well on top without them. Losing 13, 14, and 15 on top of that before half time should definitely have killed us off. I still don't really understand how we coped because they should have wiped the floor with us. A collection of midgets playing out of position against some big power runners was a recipe for disaster.

Just seeing Rory interviewed post-match. A little surprised his brother didn't get a specific name check in his thank yous. Poor Simon must be watching his wee brother thinking what might have been.

Ah, but Simon's bake is plastered all over the arrivals lounge at Belfast City airport. Rory's glory is fleeting.

That's a great title for his autobiography